This Week's Weather: Intermittently Soggy

Those hoping for a return to the summer-like weather of weeks gone by should keep their enthusiasm in check - the coming days are expected to bring more cool air and showers.

Umbrellas and rubber boots may be the wisest fashion choices for Re-Independence Day events on Tuesday. Though the morning should only see variable cloudiness, the chances of widespread showers will increase during the day, with thunderstorms a possibility in the south, according to the Meteorology and Hydrology Institute.

Those in the northwest, however, have the best chance of being spared a soaking. Temperatures during the day are expected to range from 18 to 23 C, dropping into the 10 to 15 C zone by night.

Thanks to a strengthening high-pressure system moving in from the southeast, Wednesday should be mainly dry, with temperatures nearly identical to those of Tuesday.

Thursday is likely to be cloudier, with an increased chance of rain. Once again, temperatures will be in the 18 to 23 C range, dropping to 9 to 14 after dark.

On Friday, a new pattern of mainly clear skies will emerge, but the trade-off will be cooler temperatures, reaching only 17 to 20 C.

Over the weekend, the nighttime temperatures may shock anyone who dares point to a calendar as evidence that it should still be summer: the mercury is expected to dip to 7 to 10 C, and even get as low as 5 C early on Sunday morning.

The Estonian Maritime Administration decided on Wednesday to reopen maritime traffic routes where in colder winters ice roads would make it possible to drive out to the islands. This winter is too warm, and the ice not strong enough.

The police barred ice fishers from venturing out onto the sea ice off the coast of the Pärnu, Saare and Lääne counties on Tuesday. With the rising temperatures, the ice is now too thin, and anyone going out on it is in danger of breaking through.

Let's Do It! movement that began in Estonia in 2008 and has since organized campaigns in 112 countries, involving 14,5 million people, has announced it will hold a worldwide cleanup day on September 8, 2018.

Soomaa, a national park in southwestern Estonia that stretches over 390 square kilometers of wetlands, floods every year during what is called the “fifth season” in Estonia. However, for several years now, the flooding has started in January, considerably earlier than before.

Estonia is ranked 8th in the recently published Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2016, which rates world's top and worst performers in terms of their efforts to protect ecosystems and human health.

The Internal Security Services (ISS) found an 85-kilo container, designed to hold radioactive material, dug into the ground near the border of the Estonian capital. The barrel posed no direct danger to either people or the environment.

The National Audit Office is of the opinion that local governments should be more active in ensuring everyone’s right to access the sea, lakes or rivers for recreation and exercise, and make sure that there are signs that point people who are unfamiliar with the local conditions in the right direction.

The weekend will bring more strong winds and sea level rise, met office warns. People are advised to keep an eye on weather forecasts and be prepared for power cuts, blocked roads, and disruptions in ferry services.

After precise measurements were taken, a 48.6 meter spruce, located in Veriora Rural Municipality, Põlva County, was recognized as Estonia’s tallest tree. Aand as an added bonus, a record setting 46.6 meter pine was located only a few hundred meters away from the spruce.

Estonian environmental activists have embarked on a project to raise public awareness about climate change by driving through seven countries en route to ongoing UN climate conference in Paris. The Climate Bus departed today and will make several stops on the way to Paris.

Estonia struggles with hunting-tourists who believe that EU hunting regulations do not apply in a country like Estonia. The Environmental Inspectorate has already caught two hunting parties this fall, who went against the practice of good conduct when hunting waterfowl.